Dragonfly

Liner Notes for The Steve Allee Trio Dragonfly Mention Indianapolis, and chances are good that eight out of ten people will associate the central Indiana city with motor sports, or sports in general (lest we forget about the Indianapolis Colts or Indiana Pacers). For an ardent, longtime jazz fan, Indy brings to mind some of the mighty-talented musicians who were raised and cut their musical teeth there, including brothers Wes, Buddy and Monk Montgomery, Slide Hampton, J.J. Johnson, David Baker, Freddie Hubbard and Melvin Rhyne to name but a few. The list ought to begin with 1940s and '50s piano player Erroll Grandy, who was considered the city's founding father of jazz. A listen or two to Dragonfly will ensure you also add pianist-composer Steve Allee to the top-of-mind Indy jazz roster. Dragonfly is Allee's sixth national jazz release as a leader, and the second CD in as many years from Allee's trio with bassist Bill Moring and drummer Tim Horner, who were also featured on 2007's Colors. While this is a relatively new player combination, their relationships and history helped them gel into a cohesive, empathetic musical voice. Saxophonists Rich Perry and Rob Dixon are special guests on select tracks. The Steve Allee-Bill Moring music history goes back 25 years to when Bill played in Steve's Indianapolis-based big band before taking his bass talents to New York. They reconnected several years ago. It was like resuming a conversation in mid-sentence after some years apart, Steve says. He began working with Tim Horner in bassist Rufus Reid's quintet on a gig in Chicago and immediately fell in love with his sound and rhythmic mastery. When Steve learned that Horner and Moring live about five houses apart in Teaneck, New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from the Big Apple, this trio possibility felt right. It works well because we're so good at reading each other's minds, Steve says. On parts of Dragonfly, you're also likely to hear some of the distinct Indianapolis rhythmic and harmonic sound - a straight eighth-note lilt over the rhythm - that added a distinct musical flavor to the playing of Erroll Grandy, the Montgomery brothers and J. J. Johnson, as well as Slide Hampton and Mel Rhyne, who still have that feel today. Steve, who was playing piano in Buddy Rich's big band at age 19 when he was drafted into military service during the Vietnam War, has had a long, steady career as a player, composer and music director. He's also written soundtracks for TV and film, including 'New York In The Fifties and Something To Cheer About.' His most recent jazz performances have included work in the bands of Randy Brecker, John Clayton, David Fathead Newman, Rich Perry and Rufus Reid. I mention the TV and film soundtrack work because that form of composition includes capturing or reinforcing important moods or visual elements that are taking place. On many of the Dragonfly tracks, including the title song, Allee's writing gives the music a very strong visual flavor. Bus To Belmopan, which features Maria Schneider Orchestra/Village Vanguard Orchestra mainstay Rich Perry on tenor saxophone, is set to a Cuban-style rhythm. Steve's writing was inspired by a bus ride in Belize on a teaching and performing jazz tour. As they traveled to the Central American country's capital city, the bus wound through the mountains and the rainforest picking up passengers along the way, he says. We began with just a few travelers but by the time we arrived there were more than 100 passengers, along with some birds, chickens and turkeys. It sounds and feels like we're listening not just to music, but to an amazing journey. Steve now lives in the country outside Indianapolis. His home and studio space is on property that includes a small pond that attracts a variety of dragonflies. Steve wrote Dragonfly to capture the uplifting light feeling he gets around the tiny creatures. During his introduction and solos, you can almost here the beautiful insect, shimmering in one of about six different colors as it dances across the surface of a gla